The Queen's Birthday

Hello Everyone!
It feels like a long time since I last wrote! Infusion went well a week and a bit ago. I had hardly any reaction except for my mouth flaring up a bit which is a normal thing when I have IVIG. Last week we had an extremely busy week. I am a born again Christian and do believe in the power of God. We had a series of crusades and meetings last week that we felt God wanted us to go to. It was great. A Pastor named Tim Hall was holding some meetings for 4 nights in a row. It was wonderful to just go and be at those meetings and feel the presence of God inside and out. Then Thursday night we went to another meeting and the power of God was amazing in that meeting. It was a great week.
Monday, just gone was a public holiday.....the Queen's Birthday. Of course we had no school. Alan, Isaac and I decided to go to Monarto Zoo. This is like a mini safari....you ride in a bus throughout huge enclosures where the animals run free. Cheetah, Lion, Wild Dogs (Cape Hunting Dogs), Hyena, giraffe, zebra and lots of other animals. Not as good as the African Safaris that I have been on when visiting my family in South Africa, but still fun and Isaac enjoyed himself thoroughly. Ouma and Oupa (my mum and dad) came too. It was a nice day with a picnic lunch, a tour on the bus and then to end the day....a camel ride. We thought Isaac would be way too scared....but he informed us that in no way was he scared and he even put the helmet on without any problems. So below you can see some pictures of Alan, Isaac and I going on our camel ride. It was fun, even though I felt nervous! I have been on quite a few but always feel nervous when riding some sort of animal!

Here is a picture of one of the giraffe on the bus tour through the zoo. This is a picture my mum took from the window of the bus. Yes, the giraffe was REALLY close to the window and looking in. It was great. Isaac loved how close the giraffe got. This is really how close it was! This is not enlarged!

Obviously these cheetahs are NOT real. Hehe. This is just some of the pictures they have posted around the zoo. Mum took a photo of Isaac and I posing....obviously...hehe

Another one....with a rhino.....NO NOT real! Hehe

I forgot to bring my camera but can imagine mum has more photos than just these ones that she sent me........

Mum and dad leave for Africa in a week from today...for about 6 weeks. They are going for Pastoral Ministry (yep, mum and dad are Pastors)...and for a part holiday to see mum's family since mum is South African. They will be going to different sections within Africa.......Tanzania and Mosembeak (sp?)

Anyway, no other news right now. Life carries on....trying to get some more shifts at work and more appointments...ah yes....another follow up haematology appointment on Friday....and then an ENT follow up and then a dermatology....in the next few weeks.

Update again soon,

Love Charisse

Crazy Family!

Hi All,

Crazy family, crazy weather...and what a crazy day! I thought I would take sometime to show you all what type of weather we are having in South Australia. I know that some people are showing their snow that they have had on their blogs and then I have been thinking about how dry and hot it has been here. Yesterday we reached a scorching hot temperature of 42 degrees celcius which is equivalent to 107.6 degrees Fahrenheit! It was really, really hot. Today was a littl cooler at 39 degrees celcius which is equivalent to 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit! It has been very hot! So I don't have any pictures of snow that is all nice and fluffy and cold looking. Ihave taken the liberty of taking some pictures of the outside of our house here so you can see how dead our grass is from the heat and the fact that we have had no rains for so long and are on quite strict water restrictions here in Australia. Check out the pictures below. I know the photos are not too clear or bright but you can see how dead the grass is! That is the front of our house! It is crazy. Our watering night is a Sunday night for about 2 hours...no sprinklers and it is crazy. It doesn't do anything to help with our very dead grass! So enjoy those photos...like I enjoy the photos of the snow....hehehe,......


So since today was such a hot day my family decided to head up to mum and dad's house because they have a pool. Also, tomorrow, my father, is off to Africa for 4 weeks by himself as a Pastor as a part of his Missions Ministry......so we were having our last get together before he leaves in the morning to go. These next pictures are of our family at mum and dads. Below is a picture of Isaac and Eliana admiring each other as soon as we walked in. They started giggling and laughing and playing with each other! It is so cute.


This is my sister, Liesl, and her daughter or my neice having a cuddle. Liesl is also crazy, just like the rest of us. She doesn't have FA.


The craziness comtinues as I introduce to you Liesl's husband, Tim, who always seems to have Isaac climbing all over him and why not Eliana as well! They are going for a ride on a donkey...Tim is the donkey or horsey and Isaac and Eliana are on for the ride. These are just some of the things we do to pass the time while our families are together....crazy!!!!! Sorry about the blurred photos!


Then it is time for the pool! Oh to cool down! I had my infusion last Friday and I have not been doing too badly with my reaction. Although I felt shaky today and have had headaches all day. My legs feel heavy and so do my arms. My throat and glands feel sore which is an immune response. Other areas of my body feel sore which make me think the hormonal time of the month is coming...hehe....otherwise this is my first time in the pool or immersed at all since my surgery about 6 weeks ago. I just floatedd a lot. I did some exercise but very gently. I am actually feeling sore from this swim today, even though I floated most of the time! I have decided now that I am on recovery I will start swimming once a week to get fix again and swimmung is gentle on me...so from now on I will be starting this routine. Did I tell you that I had an eye brow infection last week and that I needed to go on antibiotics. Well that seems to be clearing up nicely which is good!


Isaac making some strange and silly face while we were in the pool together. He is doing so well at swimming these days! I still need him to start regular swimming lessons!

This is Tim, my brother in law, an his daughter, Eliana, my niece...just cuddling. She was cold!

Just my family playing in the pool....mum, dad, Liesl, Alan, Isaac...all being crazy!

This is actually my sister, Liesl, and my husband, Alan, playing crazy and silly games together

This Is Alan being a crazy Australian, using his flippers as ears....hehe....what a strange one he is!

Please feel free to click on this video below. It shows how crazy my family can be. It is my mum, dad and son, Isaac mucking around in the pool together. Hehe...they are funny. My family has a lot of fun in the pool together and mucking around....enjoy....you may need to click twice!

So , all in all it was a good day. I feel exhausted from infusion but I am also a little teary about Dad being gone for 4 weeks. I love him so much and know mum is around. I just feel emotional tonight. Thanks for checking in on us tonight. I alwatys do appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed the photos! Hehe,.

Love you all,

Charisse